Head coil arrangement with an adjustable neck-engaging portion for use in a magnetic resonance apparatus

Abstract

Head coil arrangement for a magnetic resonance apparatus has a housing with a number of coil elements arranged in or on the housing, and the housing has at least one movable and/or moldable housing part ( 2 a ) for adjustment to different neck shapes in the region designated for the neck of a patient.

1. A head coil arrangement for use in a magnetic resonance apparatus, comprising:
 a housing comprising a first housing portion configured to generally conform to and encompass a human head of a subject except behind the neck of the subject; 
 a plurality of magnetic resonance coil elements carried by said housing; and 
 said housing comprising a second housing portion that is situated in a region of the neck of the subject when the first housing portion is placed on the head of the subject, said second housing portion comprising a housing part that is movable or deformable and a linear guide disposed on at least one side of said housing part engaging said linear guide and, said housing part being guided at said at least one side in said linear guide to adjust said housing part to different neck shapes. 
 
   
   
     2. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first housing portion has an interior in which the head of the subject is received, and wherein said housing part is movable or deformable toward said interior of said housing. 
   
   
     3. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first housing portion comprises a further housing part adjacent to said housing part that is movable or deformable, and said housing part that is movable or deformable, upon being moved or deformed, being configured to overlap said adjacent further housing part. 
   
   
     4. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 3  wherein said housing part that is movable or deformable overlaps said adjacent further housing part in an overlapping region, and wherein said adjacent housing part comprises a receptacle within which said housing part that is movable or deformable is moved or deformed. 
   
   
     5. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said first housing portion comprises an interior in which the head of the subject is received, and wherein said head coil arrangement comprises an elastic force source that interacts with said housing part to exert an elastic force on said housing part to urge said housing part toward said interior of said housing. 
   
   
     6. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said housing part is comprised of viscofoam, that forms said elastic force source. 
   
   
     7. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said elastic force source is selected from the group consisting of mechanical springs and inflatable/deflatable air bellows. 
   
   
     8. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 5  comprising a locking device that interacts with said housing part to hold said housing part in place after said elastic force has been applied to said housing part. 
   
   
     9. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  comprising an actuator that mechanically interacts with said housing part to move or deform said housing part. 
   
   
     10. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said actuator comprises a rotating cam that engages said housing part. 
   
   
     11. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 10  comprising a crank connected to said rotating cam to rotate said cam. 
   
   
     12. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said actuator comprises a slider connected to a portion of said housing part, said slider sliding in said linear guide in which said slider slides. 
   
   
     13. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said housing part comprises at least two rigid housing part sections connected with each other by a joint. 
   
   
     14. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said housing part has a side configured to face toward the neck of the examination subject, and wherein said head coil arrangement comprises a pressure damper mounted at said side of said housing part. 
   
   
     15. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 14  wherein said pressure damper is a cushion. 
   
   
     16. A head coil arrangement as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said housing part carries at least one of said plurality of magnetic resonance coil elements.